1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for swinging a panel unit of personal information units such as personal computers and word processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information units such as personal computers have been made smaller and smaller and those of lap-top and note-book types having superior portability have been developed.
In the case of the information units of these types, a key input section is arranged in the top of a unit case, a display case is swingably attached to the unit case to freely close the key input section, and a display section is arranged in that face of the display case which is opposed to the key input section.
In these information units, the key input section is made longer in the horizontal direction, considering the arrangement of keys at the key input section. Therefore, the display case which covers the key input section is also made longer in the horizontal direction and the display section is thus made longer in the same direction. When the display case is swung and erected relative to the unit case, therefore, the display section is always kept longer in the horizontal direction. Such display section is suitable for drawing figures and the like. In a case where documents are created, however, many characters can be inputted in a single line but the number of lines is limited. This often makes it difficult to use the information unit as desired. This is a common undesirable drawback of conventional information units.
In order to solve this drawback, therefore, information units capable of changing their display section between horizontal and vertical states have been discussed and proposed. The applicant of this patent application has filed Jpn. UM Appln. KOKAI Publication No. Hei 4-58725. A small-sized data process unit which has been disclosed as an example of these information units in the above referenced UM application includes a support attached to a unit body (which serves as a body case) by hinges and a cover (which serves as the display case) freely swingably attached to the support through a cylindrical connecting member (hereinafter also referred to as a) swing shaft. More specifically, the swing shaft is erected from the rear face of the cover at an upper left position, nearer to the center, thereof, its front portion is inserted into a slot formed, parallel to a shaft of the hinges, in the support at an upper left position thereof, and a flange at its front portion is contacted with a part of the rim of the slot, so that the cover can be freely swingably connected to the support. Further, the swing shaft includes a swing regulating projection arranged at a part of it and detachably engageable with engaging recesses at both ends of the slot. The case which is under horizontal state and also under vertical state can be thus regulated in position by the projection of the swing shaft not to freely move in the slot.
In this small-sized data process unit, however, the slot in the support is formed substantially parallel to the shaft of the hinges and one swing shaft is swingably and movably fitted into the slot. When the cover or display case is swung from horizontal to vertical state, therefore, a lower corner of the cover is projected to a great extent toward the device body or body case. In order to prevent the lower corner of the cover from being struck against the top of the device body in this case, the angle by which the cover is swung relative to the device body must be made larger than about 150.degree., for example. This makes it troublesome to use the information device. Further, the cover is swung round one swing shaft in the information device. When the cover is to be swung to the horizontal or vertical state, therefore, its swing must be regulated by a swing regulating means. In order to provide this swing regulating means, a swing regulating projection must be arranged on the swing shaft and engaging recesses must be formed in the slot. This makes the swing shaft and the slot complicated in structure and troublesome to manufacture.